NCF On The Trail: Jacob Pugh

With national signing day in the books, RecruitingNation is looking at the top position classes. For the full series, click here.

Nationally (and SEC)The Alabama Crimson Tide’s 2014 class fill just about every need on the board, and that includes linebacker. With designs on addressing pass rushing and the ability to play in space on the edge at outside 'backer in Nick Saban’s 3-4 scheme, Alabama signed the Nos. 1 and No. 2 outside linebackers in the country in No. 48 overall Christian Miller (Columbia, S.C./Spring Valley) and No. 52 overall Rashaan Evans (Auburn, Ala./Auburn), who is pound for pound of the best pure athletes in the 2014 cycle. The Crimson Tide added two more talented linebackers in ESPN 300’s No. 102 Shaun Dion Hamilton (Montgomery, Ala./Carver) and No. 281 Keith Holcombe (Tuscaloosa, Ala./Hillcrest). Hamilton is an MLB.

The Crimson Tide had the nation’s best linebacker class; here’s which schools had the best in each of the remaining power conferences:

Florida State played in the first BCS championship game. It could play in the first championship decided by a playoff, too.

Monday, they beat Auburn for the final BCS title. The Noles will go for a second straight title in 2014 and they bring back several key pieces next season, most notably quarterback Jameis Winston. They will suffer some departures from central players, but a loaded recruiting class ranked in the top five should add depth throughout the roster.

The rosters are set, plane tickets purchased and coaching staffs assembled. The 2014 Under Armour All-America Game is less than a month away.

Courtesy of IntersportDeshaun Watson could be the starter from Day 1 at Clemson.

With nearly all of the country’s elite prospects all together, there are bountiful storylines leading up to and during the Jan. 2 game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Here are five for ACC fans:

1. Will Deshaun Watson follow the footsteps of Jameis Winston and Christian Hackenberg? Both Winston and Hackenberg were the No. 1 quarterbacks in their respective classes and played in the Under Armour Game. Both then went on to have great freshman seasons (Winston after a redshirt year) and have their teams in position to make waves on a national level the next few seasons. Watson (Gainesville, Ga./Gainesville) is the No. 1 quarterback for 2014 and will enter a similar situation to Hackenberg’s. Clemson will have an opening at quarterback in 2014, and Watson will enroll at Clemson following the game. He will have to beat out 2012 Under Armour All-American Chad Kelly, but there is a legitimate chance Watson could be the starter from Day 1 for the Tigers. He is that good.

The Early Offer is RecruitingNation's regular feature, giving you a daily dose of recruiting in the mornings. Today's offerings: With the first edition of this year’s BCS rankings released Sunday, we take a look at how the top five teams in are faring on the college football recruiting trail.

Editor's note: For a look at the national recruiter power rankings based only on Class of 2014 success, click here.

The best head coaches are often called the closer when it comes to sealing the deal with recruits. Whether on a visit or a trip to a prospect’s home, the head coach is called upon to secure the signature.

Senior linebacker Jacob Pugh (Tallahassee, Fla./Godby High) was presented his honorary game jersey during the American Family Insurance Selection Tour for the 2014 Under Armour All-America High School Football Game at Godby High School in Tallahassee, Fla. on Tuesday. The event was part of the three-month selection tour for the UA All-America Game.

Courtesy of IntersportJacob Pugh will take the field on Jan. 4 as an Under Armour All-American before heading off to Florida State.

Pugh, a Florida State commitment, is one of 90 players selected to compete in the seventh annual Under Armour All-America Game, an all-star game spotlighting the country’s top high school seniors. The game is set for 4 p.m. ET on Jan. 2 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., and will be televised on ESPN.

“I just want to first off thank God for allowing this to happen,” Pugh said. “I want to thank God for my coach, my team, my mom and I just love my team…and I’m doing this for my team.”

Godby High head coach Ronnie Cottrell says his star player is just as impressive off the field as on it.

“What makes Jacob Pugh special is he’s a fantastic individual,” Cottrell said. “Yes, he’s a tremendous football player and one of the top five in the country at his position. He has great length and great speed, but I think what separates him as a player is his ability to rush the passer. I think that’s what’s going to make him a great player at Florida State and in the All-America Game.

“Jacob Pugh’s just don’t come along every day, and that’s why he is in the game. He’s one of those really special men.”

For Pugh, the decision to play in the Under Armour All-America Game was simple -- it offered the best competition.

“I decided to play in the game because I want to represent my team, represent my coaches and represent my school,” Pugh said. “Also, it was an honor and a privilege to be chosen to compete against some of the nation’s top players. I’m looking forward to competing, that’s all.

The player I’m looking forward to playing against is that No. 1 running back [Leonard Fournette] in the nation. I don’t know his name, but I’m looking forward to tackling him and getting a hold of him.”

The 6-foot-4, 224-pound Pugh is the No. 108 ranked prospect overall and the No. 5 outside linebacker in the class. Pugh committed to Florida State over Florida, Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and others.

Florida State has the top class among ACC schools right now, but that is taking the Seminoles’ entire 23-recruit class into account. The Noles don’t have the best class at every position, as some of Florida State’s top rivals are looking stronger at certain positions. Here’s a look at which ACC school has the best class by position:

The most important commitment in a team's recruiting class is a purely subjective. Is it the best overall recruit or the commit who fills the biggest need? Is it the lineman that has helped recruit other big-time prospects? And in six months, let alone a year or two, will they still even be on the team?

ACC reporters Corey Dowlar and Jared Shanker take these factors into effect and come up with the most important 2014 commitments for every ACC program.

He's huge. 6-foot-4, 243 pounds, and he can run. Like ESPN's scouting report suggests, he looks the part of a college linebacker right now.

Daub is physical and loves to hit. It's hard to play in the middle without a characteristic like that and a little mean streak.

The four-star prospect isn't a guy that Florida State wants matched up against a running back or tight end on third downs, but he could definitely be a force on a blitz.

The Seminoles’ history of linebackers is long and deep, but most of them are on the outside. Guys like Derrick Brooks and Marvin Jones come to mind.

Even though Sam Cowart played his fair share of outside linebacker at Florida State (Daryl Bush manned the middle at some points during his career), he moved inside in the NFL. Cowart was big, nasty and tough and some comparisons can be drawn between him and Daub, though Daub is a little taller than Cowart was.

Cowart was selected by the Buffalo Bills No. 39 overall and played through 2005.

NoleNation takes a look at 10 prospects -- committed or uncommitted -- that could make an immediate impact at Florida State next season.

LB Kain Daub (Jacksonville, Fla./Sandalwood)HT/WT: 6-foot-3/243 pounds
ESPN 300 rank: 36
Not only is Daub one of the top prospects in the state of Florida, he's also going to be an early enrollee. He has been to Tallahassee numerous times since he committed to get familiar with the personnel and coaches. Signs point to him playing in year one.

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On The Trail is ESPN RecruitingNation's home for all the latest news and information. With some of the nation's top recruiting writers contributing, OTT provides the latest details about commitments, visits and other notes to give fans the most comprehensive recruiting news source in the country.